Research and Advanced Education
Alexandra Santos - The search for the best path
Alexandra Santos is currently a Senior Clinical Lecturer at King's College London and combines her academic activity with a clinical activity as a Consultant in Paediatric Allergy at Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital.
At King's College she has developed a research work on Paediatric Allergies, in which the immunity and tolerance of children to peanut allergy are currently being tested in the laboratory.
On Research Day, she was one of the honour guests and talked about the importance of defining what you want and what type of career you want to pursue early on, as well as, if possible, of choosing mentors who work in areas different from those we already master.
In a path of choices that is never straight, she left a piece of advice for those who are now starting their careers in research and will not always have all the certainties in front of them.
Is perseverance the secret to being successful?
AS: Perseverance is an important trait for success; others include resilience, motivation, self-confidence, and a strategic vision for the future.
In order to do good research, do we have to work on in full-time, without parallel works? Do you see this culture of improvement in Portugal?
AS: To produce quality research, it is important to take time specifically to be able to focus on studying, thinking and implementing the projects. In an ideal world, we would have slots integrated into our work schedule in which we could focus on research, with the appropriate remuneration. When you have to do research in your own time, at night and on weekends, it is harder to stay competitive to get funding and publications. I believe that the situation in Portugal is changing and I hope that, in the near future, the Physician-Scientist becomes a common figure.
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Joana Sousa
Editorial Team